Fading Fast
by Xamem-The Heart of Oblivion
Summary: Death comes for us all, and the Nobodies and Heartless are no exception. As each Nobody and Heartless met their fate, you saw their faces, heard their last words...but never knew what they were thinking. Until now...  -Series of one-shots-
1. Heartless Shadows

**A/N: Although I should be working on other things, I read _Deathly Musings _by _ModernDayRapunzel_, and I don't think anybody did that kind of thing for Kingdom Hearts characters. If they did, I never heard of it.**

**This series of ficlets is dedicated to Scribbles I, who totally rocks.**

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___Heart. Soul. Dark. _These simplistic thoughts were the only variety that went through a Shadow's mind on its hunt. A hunt for hearts, that is. Even now, on the paved streets, it could smell that spiky-haired boy. His heart smelled so…different.

The Shadow wanted it. So did the others. They melted into the ground and sneaked towards him; silent, deadly. It couldn't hold itself back-popping out of the ground, it attacked the bow with miniature, darkness-lined claws.

It heard the boy let out a cry of surprise, but he was not immobilized for long. With a bright flash of light, his Key was summoned. Slaying each shadow with a quick swipe of the Key, he turned to the last shadow, hesitating.

"What are you, really? Where do you go?" the boy asked. Curiosity, not fear, was in his sky-blue eyes.

The Shadow was feral, surviving only on instinct. And instinct told it to take advantage of the boy's momentary lapse of concentration. Unable to make a sound, it rushed forward…

…straight into the razor-sharp edge of the Key. The boy walked away as it dissolved, disappearing into nothing as the heart it once held was wrenched from its body.

_Light, Key, pain…_

…_gone._


	2. Nobody Nothings

**I guess it would be obvious, but if you didn't play the games, this is gonna have spoilers...**

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Unlike the generally feral Heartless, Nobodies could truly form thoughts and act upon them. At least, some could-those blessed with a humane looking body in addition to a soul. The others were merely tools, servants really, in the eyes of those who saw themselves superior. Weapons to use in warfare, dummies to train on. Something to exercise control over. That was all they were-a shell with a soul.

The worm-like Nobodies-Dusks-that were meant to prevent Roxas' escape were no different. They were given an order and would carry it out without question, or fade trying. Sometimes, Lord Xemnas would have control over their thoughts, their every movement always scrutinized.

Not this time, however. Lord Xemnas was kind enough to let them prove their worth to him. He only provided some advice, a command on the occasion.

One Dusk in particular was exploiting this new-found freedom. It followed Roxas, remaining in the shadows as he used his odd Key to send the Dusks back to the darkness from which they came. It watched as he fought Saïx for freedom; and won. Then Roxas noticed the little Dusk. It was just evidence that needed to be destroyed.

"You're a shell," he whispered, advancing on it. "What makes _you_ any different from_ me_?" Without waiting for an answer, he slashed clean through it. Nothing was where it belonged. Nothing was where it would go.

_Nothing, Roxas. Nothing makes us different._

_Nothing._

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**Yes, these are supposed to be this short. The next thirteen will be about the Organization. Leave a review and tell me who you want the next two to be. What do you like? What would you do differently? Do you think it's interesting? Please leave a review, it would really make my day. I can get the next one up fast because they're so short. Thanks for reading and reviewing.**


	3. Lexaeus

Lexaeus gazed down at the boy he had just felled with his Axe Sword. He had been given an order by a superior-even if Zexion didn't seem like much-and he had carried it out. Just like his days in Radiant Garden, he kept any intruders out. That was all he was seen as, really-a bunch of muscles sent out to destroy unwanted intrusions. A bunch of muscles that never failed to do the job right.

Perhaps that was why he hadn't expected Riku to get up. Riku had been slammed against the white ceiling with his Axe Sword; he thought that the brute force he had put behind the blow would surely have killed him. He had been mistaken, though.

Transformed now with the power of Darkness, Riku was faster than the light, dashing from where he stood across the room. His hands gripped the handle of Soul Eater, the demonic wing of a blade outstretched. It was a blur of red, purple and blue as he slashed it across Lexaeus' torso.

"Too slow," he heard Riku say with a smirk on his face, his voice suddenly deeper like Ansem's. Lexaeus dropped his Axe Sword in shock. As the inevitable swirls of Darkness that came with fading slowly consumed his body, he thought not of the slashing pain or that he was dying at all. He could only focus on one agonizing fact.

_He had failed._

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_**Forgive yourself of your failures from the past, and worry not about tomorrow; live in the moment **_**today, **_**because today is all you might have. **_

**In case you're wondering, I used the version from Re: Chain of Memories. I thought it was more interesting than the original. Anyways, this didn't turn out as well as I hoped…what do you guys think? Please review, or I won't know! Remember to leave a request for the character you want me to do next…right now the next one is Saïx.**


	4. Saïx

_Clunk. _The sound of his claymore as it fell to the ground sounded like an explosion in the grey room, which was otherwise silent except for his own deep breathing. He could see the pity etched on the Keyblade-wielders face, but he wasn't thinking about that. He was thinking about what his old friend might have been saying.

_Lea. _He missed the bantering so much. Those carefree days in Radiant Garden, when the biggest thing to worry about was weather or not they had been seen during their last escapade. And even when they got caught, they still managed to have fun; plan the next big adventure. Life had just been a big game, filling their hearts with joy.

_My heart…friendship…I miss it…_

Now he just had an empty cavity; a shell. It had been a terrible accident; a prank gone wrong. And it had been _his _idea. _His _idea to sneak past the guards into the castle, _his _idea to snoop around. He had just wanted to prove he could be as much fun as Lea…and he knew that Lea had always wanted to look inside. And they most certainly had seen what it was truly about. They had walked right into an experiment.

They had attempted to apologize, to get out of there fast when they saw what was going on. But their boyish charm hadn't worked. Instead, Braig-later Xigbar-had decided to make them the next subjects of their experiments.

Isa had figured that he could sweet-talk his way out of staying any longer after a week. Slowly, those lavish compliments and faked smiles became real. He grew more distant from Lea, his oldest friend, and grew closer to Ansem. Ansem had so much more in common with him-a level head; a thirst knowledge.

Now, he regretted that choice to take Lea for granted. Where was his heart? What about his old friendl? Maybe they could be friends again, wherever Death took them. He would like that, if he had his heart again.

He reached towards the heart-shaped moon with a final plea for a chance to redeem himself.

"Kingdom Hearts…where…is my heart?"


	5. Larxene

Larxene hadn't always enjoyed pain. It had started, really, when she began to socialize.

She was only trying to fit in. She had always been a little shy, a bit naïve, and she hadn't really understood what they had said was wrong with her hair. It was a pale blonde, and her mother had always liked to spike it a little bit; kind of like insect antennae.

She could still remember the sneering looks the popular girls had given her over their noses. The way they would whisper as she walked by. Larxene just ignored them; they were just another speck in the sea of grey uniforms. Even though she didn't have many friends, she had plenty of toys that kept her content.

Until she finally tried to make friends with someone.

The blank expression had been the first indication that something was wrong, yet Larxene-then Arlene's-innocent smile never wavered. And then came the harsh words-the words that cut straight into her heart; still gave her nightmares.

_Strange. Queer. Freak. _Those were only a few insults snarled at her. Yet she _still _didn't understand why they _loathed _her so much. It didn't matter, though. It was enough to send her coming home crying for her mother, but her mother could only ease the hurt a little.

Then she began to…change.

Arlene no longer wished to play with dolls, or teddy bears, or other toys. She no longer wanted to bake little cupcakes with her mother, or spend times with the few friends she had. Beginning to wish that she didn't have a heart that could be so easily torn apart, she began to grow distant; even a bit sadistic. She wanted to hurt those girls the way they hurt her.

Years later, living on her own, Arlene got her wish. The darkness took over; she became Larxene and was recruited to the Organization.

At first, she didn't really understand the point. Why would they _want _to feel the aches and pains that came with being whole? Being Nobody was _wonderful, _she could cause as much destruction as she wanted without that horrible feeling of guilt that came with it. But she went along with it…until Castle Oblivion.

There, she really got to know Marluxia. He claimed to know her sorrow; her desire, and the pointlessness of a heart. So they began to plan; plan to overthrow Xemnas and run things _their _way.

Until Sora.

Sora was always far too happy for Larxene's taste, and he too often meddled in others business. Much like those preps from her school days. She wanted to be the one to _destroy _him.

Putting her whole being into the attack, she never doubted in her ability. Slashing and ripping with _Foudre_, she reveled every moment that he cried out in pain.

Moments into the fight, she began to have a nagging feeling in the back of her mind. Not emotion, exactly, more like the shadow of a memory. The memory was guilt.

And with that memory, the floodgates opened up-the way she had begun to snap at her mother; the emotional roller coaster she had ridden. The things she left unsaid.

Hesitating, she wondered if it was worth it, killing Sora. Taking advantage of her lapse in concentration, Sora swept his Keyblade forward, but she didn't realize it would be fatal.

"No… No! I refuse to lose to such a bunch of losers!" she cried out, letting out a bit of her rebellious nature. She was going to leave, run away; but not to find her mother. Or anyone. She knew that she could go ask Marluxia for help squishing this_...guilt._ But she wouldn't. and she could still be proud, too proud to show weakness, and asking for help was a weakness. She would deal with it on her own. As she turned to go, however, she felt her body begin to disappear.

"No, this isn't..the way I…" she stuttered, unable to believe that she was leaving this world so soon.

"I won't…ALLOW…" her final words came out as a ragged gasp. She couldn't believe it was really happening. She refused to.

And so ended Larxene, in denial that all she ever needed was a friend.

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**So…long…was it too much? I got pretty emotional…this is likely gonna be the longest one. REVIEW! =D **


	6. Xemnas

_Nothingness is eternal!_

That was most profound thought that Xemnas had ever had, and it was what he focused on. Like Light and Darkness, Nothingness went on forever and ever. Unlike the Light and the Dark, though, Nothingness could not be influenced. Nothingness was everlasting. Nothingness could make him a _god._

And he fully intended to harness those god-like powers to the fullest extent. The world as it was presently was weak and easily influenced. People went around taking Light and Darkness for granted, never thinking about _Nothing. _He would use that power to re-shape the worlds to his own ideals, and everyone would benefit from it.

So what if a few Nobodies faded? Every war had a cost; those sacrifices were his. It would all be worth it, in the end. And if somebody failed to see his vision? They were a _fool._

Before he could begin to mold the worlds in his image, however, he needed to extinguish that pesky Keyblade-wielder, along with his friend, that _Riku. _Both were useless in his plans. Utterly useless.

If that didn't work, he had a back-up plan. They didn't know it, but Nobodies could be brought back. So long as the Heartless of the Nobody had had its heart released, the Nobody would be brought back as a Somebody. Ansem, Seeker of Darkness, had already been slayed. He was in the perfect position to make new calculations, new experiments. Because Nothingness had made him eternal. He would _not _die.

So even when his most worrisome foes, the only thorns in his plans, had challenged him, he took them on without fear. He wasn't worried about failing. No matter what the outcome of the struggle was, he would be fine. Completely.

And even though the outcome wasn't what he expected-he had been fairly sure he would be victorious-it didn't matter. Fading was much more painful than he expected-it felt like knives piercing his skin, and he thought it would be painless-but it mattered not. He allowed himself a small smile, though no one saw it. He would be victorious in the end. He would be back.

_Because Nothingness is eternal._

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**Took a bit of a different turn on this one! Can't believe that this is my most popular fic. Might be because I keep updating, that's unusual…anyways, as per a suggestion from a reviewer, I changed the ending for Larxene's, just a bit. Just saying. Not sure who's next…any suggestions? And thanks SO MUCH to my wonderful reviewers! =D**


	7. Marluxia

They needed him. They might not realize it, might fight it, but he was necessary. Xemnas couldn't rule them forever; if all went as planned, he _wouldn't _be superior to him for much longer.

Castle Oblivion was just a step. Not the first one, no…he had spent _ages_ trying to reach this postition. Being a lower member felt so demoting. Never getting respect; sent on the lowly, icky jobs. Nothing that would befit his current position. He was the 'Lord of the Castle', the 'Graceful Assassin'. He _deserved _to rule…but he deserved more than just _this_. Just a little under half of the Organization. He wanted it _all._

Larxene and Axel had just been pawns, like Sora. Tools to use in his conquest. He didn't care that Larxene was gone; he cared more about the fact that Axel was a traitor. Axel had turned the very orders Marluxia had given against him. To rid them of the traitor. Who was the traitor, really? Axel was. Of course Axel was. He, the Lord of the Castle, was justified of trying to overthrow Xemnas. No matter what they said, he was always justified.

Now he waited. He had to make a last minute to his plans-the release of Naminé had been unexpected distraction, along with her own defiance. Foolish girl. She would be sorry; if she didn't make crush Sora's heart and make him useful, she would die. It would be slow. He would take pleasure in it.

He wasn't surprised that Sora managed to defeat the clone easily. Such was the power of the Keyblade. But Sora would be no match for himself and Graceful Dahlia. He was, after all, superior over _everyone. _Or so he thought…

He put up a good match, that was certain. It was a long and grueling fight, but Sora's memories proved to be too much. Too strong, too pure. Marluxia was defeated, but he wouldn't make the transition from life to Death that easily. He would bring Sora with him.

Even as he was reaching out with his hand, though, he knew it was too late. Sora was too far away, and it was evident in his expression that he was satisfied. Marluxia would no longer be able to control Naminé-or anyone else-again.

Ever.

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**Longer note then usual today.**

**Meh, this was ok…I just couldn't take his death seriously. I kept thinking of Bloo (Fosters Home for Imaginary Friends) doing his death scream and drowning in petals, because they have the same voice actor. Marluxia is pretty obsessive over his superiority…anyways. I'm kinda worried about this, because I'm starting to run out of ideas. You can only make up so much for people who have no emotion. DX I'll pull through, though, for my wonderful reviewers. You guys rock! =D And to answer a question, I don't know if I'll be doing the Replica. I **_**might**_**, but the Organization is first.**


	8. Luxord

Luxord has only ever lost two gambles in his life. Unfortunately, these were the two largest bets he had ever placed in his life.

His first loss was born of sheer cockiness-too much drink, women, and money won. He didn't realize who the stranger really was, and being intoxicated certainly didn't help matters. And so he bet his heart.

Besides Xemnas, Luxord is the only Nobody who actually gave their heart up. Without that addiction to gambling, Luxord would likely have never lost it to normal means, as addictions made up over eighty percent of his heart and the darkness therein.

And so he lost his first bet, and the consequence was he had nowhere to go. No one was on his side, as Nobodies were condemned where he came from. Eventually, the Organization brought him in, and his gambling problem continued to manifest itself in this empty shell, dealt with in his fight against heartless.

But it was still there.

So he continued his old existence, that of gambling and drink, though he could no longer extract pleasure from it. It lost all charm, all the glitz. It had become a rut. A habit, actually.

Until Sora.

Sora, that little brat, never even stopping to think of the odds of going into a fight. Yet always, always he won, no matter the odds.

It infuriated Luxord whenever he examined those odds, compared the streak to his own single blemish, the one gamble he never thought about. Oh, how he _wished _he could put an equally dark spot on his record! One day, he swore.

One day, he got his wish.

The end of the Organization was coming soon. Even without calculating the odds, Sora was cutting his way through the castle and he could tell they were going to die. It was possible that he could get away, on his own. He just had to bet on escaping the fight with Sora.

So he waited, and waited. Only three members were left besides him. He sensed that Xigbar had fallen, and having completed (and won) another game with his Gamblers, he sent them away. His chances would be greater with just him and Sora.

Creating a portal of darkness, he materialized behind Sora and snapped his fingers. The likelihood of his beating Sora was greatly increased, he knew, when he trapped his friends behind a wall of giant playing cards. He could sense the very human, nearly palpable feeling of fear they gave out. He smirked, skipping the formalities and jumping right into the battle.

This is how he lost his second gamble, though this time money and liquor weren't involved and the bet was much more than his heart.

It was his existence. And the odds were very much _not _in his favor. Still he fought against his chances, constantly creating little tricks with the die, pulling new cards from his sleeves in an effort to catch Sora off-guard.

Luxord was launched back by a particularly hard _whack _with the Keyblade, forcing him to his knees. Sora lunged forward, ready to slice right through him with the unearthly blade. As a last-ditch effort to save his existence, despite the likelihood being slim to none, he pulled up a shield of cards similar to the barrier around Sora's party.

To say simply, gambling your existence gives you nothing but an untimely end.

**A/N: "Gambling is a disease of barbarians superficially civilized."**

**This is sad. Sorry guys. Thanks for reading.**


	9. Demyx

It's funny how people only really begin to listen to a person after they've died. Music, literature, or everyday life moments are taken for granted or outright ignored until death makes them so important.

Demyx knew this all too well. His life as Myde had been riddled with those voices, always telling him about what this deceased musician said or what that dearly departed family member did.

Strumming his sitar, Demyx hummed a few notes and tuned accordingly. Just as we was getting ready to start a song, Saïx burst into the room.

"Demyx, your presence Where Nothing Gathers is required." Saïx left without another word, and Demyx sighed, hanging up his Sitar.

"This better be good," he muttered.

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Demyx sat in his own throne, looking to his right at Xemnas. Saïx sat in his throne, looking back and forth between the pair.

"Demyx," Xemnas began, "I took a look at your monthly Heatless report. Suffice to say, I would not have summoned you if I had been pleased." Demyx gulped but said nothing, figuring Xemnas wouldn't care what he had to say.

"You know how important this is to our mission. To Kingdom Hearts. I'm pairing you with Xigbar from now on, and if your reports don't improve, we'll have our first red panel." Again, Demyx had plenty to say but knew Xemnas would think little of it.

Saïx noticed this and inclined his head. "Do you have anything to say for yourself?" Demyx declined the offer to speak up.

Xemnas crossed his legs and nodded. "Alright then. We'll see what happens. Both of you, dismissed."

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It was about a month later. Even with Xigbar's help, Demyx had failed yet again to complete his quota. He knew what Saïx wanted before he even opened his mouth.

"Demyx. I don't need to remind you of the consequences of your failure to collect the needed hearts."

Demyx remained silent. Xemnas wondered if this was some new form of protest.

"But I'm going to give you one more chance to prove yourself." Demyx pretended to perk a little but didn't voice if he really wanted to be redeemed.

Xemnas smiled-more like smirked, actually. "I know where the Keyblade Master is going. I want you to meet him, head-on, and challenge. Either you defeat him, or your soul is going to float in Nothingness forever."

Demyx stared listlessly at his leader, not even tacking some interest to his thoughts. _I'm going to die, anyways. Why bother? My soul isn't worth much._

Xemnas tapped his fingers impatiently. "If you still have nothing to say, you may go."

Still with no words, Demyx left.

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"Hey, you guys are looking lively." Cue winning smile.

Roxas-Sora-whoever this kid was, didn't care what he had to say, and went right on about how Nobodies had no hearts. How he was a wimp. Quite honestly, Demyx valued the kid's opinion as much as the kid valued his.

"You can't trick us!" It was that annoying little duck that snapped Demyx.

Turning, he pointed to the traitor, ready to silence him with everything he had.

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**"We'll never know the worth of water until the well go dry." That goes for people and your words. Treasure them.**


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